Two Mothers, One Child
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: A near-fatal attack on a colleague of Professor Oak's leads to the search for a previously undiscovered Pokemon.
1. Prologue

Free! She was finally free! Free from the man who had kept her prisoner for so long – the man who had kept her locked in a cage, put her on display for the amusement of his friends, had referred to her as being "a valuable part of my collection" – as if she had been an inanimate object like a piece of furniture or a book. But she was none of those things. She was a living creature born in the wild, and to the wild she had finally returned -- returned to find the thing that mattered more to her than anything else in the world.

Her child.


	2. Chapter 1

"Professor! Come over here and take a look at this!"

The young scientist made his way over to where his assistant was busy examining the fossilized remnants of a Kabuto. Foster Blackwood was the curator of the Pokémon Natural History Museum at the Ruins of Alph and was leading an archaeological expedition to Grandpa Canyon to examine the recent discovery of several fossilized water-type prehistoric Pokémon.

"What do you have there, Tyler?" Foster asked the blond-haired young man hunched over a makeshift lab bench next to his tent.

"Take a look at this, Professor Blackwood," the graduate student said as he handed his boss a magnifying glass.

Foster reddened slightly as he took the magnifying glass from his assistant. He had just recently become a full professor of Pokémon archaeology at Celadon University and was still getting used to people calling him "Professor Blackwood". 

"You can still call me Foster, you know," he said with some embarrassment as he began examining the artifact. "Where did you find this, Tyler?"

"Over there," the young man said, pointing in the direction of the canyon wall that lay just east of their camp. "There are about twenty more, and there's even what appears to be a Kabutops with them."

"Really?" Foster said with interest as he put down the magnifying glass. "Let's go take a look."

As the two men made their way down the rocky path to the excavation site, a huge shadow overhead suddenly blocked the sun.

"What's that?" Tyler asked as he looked up and saw what appeared to be a huge bird soaring overhead. "Is that a Fearow?"

"I don't know," Foster replied as he studied the creature flying above them. "It's some sort of bird, but it's not like anything I've seen before."

Then without warning, the bird swooped down and landed in front of the two startled scientists.

"Damn, what is that?" Tyler exclaimed at the sight of the angry-looking, huge, red and white bird.

"I don't know Tyler, but it doesn't look happy," Foster said as he coughed and tried to wave away the dust cloud that had formed as a result of the bird's landing. "I think we'd better get out of…"

"Laiiiiiiii!" the bird cried as it raised its wings to block their escape. 

"Tyler, run! I'll try to distract it," Foster said as he tried to divert the bird's attention to him.

"Professor, are you…"

"Dammit, Tyler, get the hell out of here!" Foster ordered his frightened assistant as the bird's eyes began to glow an electric blue.

"Laiiii!" the bird cried once more as Tyler scrambled over a pile of rocks and took off in the direction of the camp. ["Where is my child?"]

"I'm not going to harm you," Foster tried to reassure the fierce-looking creature as he desperately searched for a means of escape.

"Laiiiiiii! LAIIIIII!" ["My child was here and now it's gone! WHERE IS IT?"] The bird screeched as it advanced menacingly on the terrified scientist.

"I don't understand, but I want to help…" Foster then screamed in pain as one of the bird's talons tore into his arm. 

"Hurry! Please hurry!" Tyler urged the emergency crew on the other end of the phone line as his friend's blood-curdling shrieks echoed throughout the canyon.

__

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 2

"What shall we do today, Togepi?" a pretty red-haired girl asked the egg-shaped Pokémon she was carrying in her arms.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for lunch," Ash Ketchum said as he pointed in the direction of the Pokémon Center in Crimson Cove.

"And I'm always ready to see Nurse Joy," Brock grinned giddily as the three friends went inside the building with the large red "P" on its roof.

"Oh no! How awful!" Nurse Joy gasped as she and her Chansey stared at the television in the far corner of the waiting area.

"What's wrong, Nurse Joy?" Ash asked as he went up to the desk in the reception area.

"The news just reported that an archaeologist was attacked by some sort of wild Pokémon during an expedition in Grandpa Canyon," Nurse Joy informed him.

"Grandpa Canyon? That was where we found Togepi," Misty said, cuddling her Pokémon closer to her.

"Yeah, that was also where I nearly got eaten by that wild Aerodactyl," Ash reminded her.

"What kind of wild Pokémon was it?" Brock asked Nurse Joy.

"They don't know," Nurse Joy replied. "One of the students working at the site saw it, but he's too shaken up to remember exactly what it looked like."

"Is the archaeologist that got attacked okay?" Misty asked worriedly.

"They say he's in pretty bad shape," Nurse Joy told her. "He's in critical condition."

"Maybe it was an Aerodactyl that attacked him," Ash said. 

"Anyway," Nurse Joy said as she turned off the television, "what can I do for you today?"

"Well, we came here for lunch, but I don't feel much like eating now," Misty said as she sat down at one of the tables in the waiting area. 

"Neither do I," echoed Brock as he sat down next to Misty.

"Do you think that archaeologist got attacked by an Aerodactyl?" Ash asked his friends as he pulled up a chair and joined them at the table.

"Maybe," said Brock. "An Aerodactyl is definitely powerful enough to hurt someone pretty badly."

"I hope he'll be all right," Misty said as she gave Togepi a hug and the little Pokémon gave its worried mommy a reassuring hug back.

--- 

"Excuse me, I'm here to see Professor Foster Blackwood."

"Are you the doctor on call today?" the nurse asked as she looked up at gray-haired man standing at the reception desk.

"Doctor…? Oh, you mean the lab coat," the man smiled. "No, I'm not a doctor. At least not a doctor on humans, anyway. I'm Professor Oak. Professor Blackwood was one of my former students and I was wondering if I could see him."

"Visiting hours end in fifteen minutes," the nurse on duty informed him. "But I don't think you should stay more than a couple of minutes. Professor Blackwood needs to rest. He's in room 315."

"Thank you. I promise I won't stay long," Professor Oak assured her as he headed down the hallway. "Foster?" he whispered softly as he cracked open the door to his friend's room.

The man lying half-asleep in the hospital bed turned at the sound of the creaking door. "Professor Oak?"

"I heard about what happened to you Foster, and I wanted to see how you were doing," the older man said as he pulled up a chair and sat down at the younger man's bedside. 

"Hanging in there," Foster replied as he tried to tilt his head to look at his colleague with his unbandaged eye.

Professor Oak glanced at the monitors next to the younger man's bed. "Your vital signs look good."

"The rest of me doesn't, I'll bet," Foster said with a weak attempt at a smile. 

"I spoke with your doctor before I came up here. You're lucky to be alive."

"Yeah. Matter of fact, I didn't regain consciousness until a little while ago. The doctors don't think there's any permanent brain damage from the skull fracture. Hurts like hell, though. Almost as bad as the time I got kicked in the head by that wild Rapidash when I was doing my internship at your lab, remember?"

Professor Oak smiled and nodded. "I remember."

"And they also said that with a couple of months of physical therapy, I should regain full use of my arm," Foster winced as he lifted his bandaged limb slightly. "The broken ribs may take a bit longer to heal, though."

"Thank God your assistant was able to call for help in time."

"Yeah. If Tyler hadn't called the emergency squad, I probably would've bled to death. I owe him my life." "Foster, what happened at Grandpa Canyon? Who or what did this to you?"

As the younger man looked at his mentor, Professor Oak saw fear in Foster's unbandaged eye. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"What exactly did it look like, Foster?" Professor Oak urged gently. "Did it look like an Aerodactyl?"

"No," Foster replied as he closed his eyes and tried to recall the last few moments of his encounter with the fury-crazed Pokémon. "It was as big as an Aerodactyl, but it was white and red. Bird-like."

"Bird-like? Like a Fearow?"

Foster shook his head stiffly. "No. More like the Pokemon they call Lugia. But this one was red and white and had a strange marking on its chest."

"Marking? What kind of marking?"

"A blue triangular mark. Like the ones you see on Pokémon eggs sometimes."

"Why did it attack you, Foster?"

"I don't know," Foster said as he opened his eyes. "It landed where Tyler and I were working and started crying out like it was angry about something. Maybe we had disturbed its nesting area or something. And then…"

"Then what, Foster?" 

"It looked at me and its eyes started to glow electric blue. Then I couldn't move."

"You mean like a Paralysis attack?"

Foster nodded slowly. "Yes. Then it began to attack me. It lunged at my arm and nearly ripped it off." Foster's voice began to shake. "And the pain…the pain was incredible. And I couldn't do anything to stop it. It just kept ripping at me with those talons. Then it hit me with its wing and threw me against one of the rocks."

Professor Oak laid his hand on his young friend's shoulder. "Foster, if this is too painful for you to recall…"

"Actually in retrospect, I'm glad it knocked me out. By then I was about to pass out from the pain and all the blood gushing from my arm."

"Did your assistant get a good look at the Pokémon that did this to you?"

"Tyler was with me when it landed, but I haven't spoken to him since then."

Professor Oak stood up as the door behind him creaked. "I'll let you get some rest now, Foster." 

"Professor Blackwood?" 

"Hey, Tyler!" Foster grinned at the blond-haired young man that had just entered the room. "Professor Samuel Oak, I'd like for you to meet the man that saved my life, Tyler Daniels."

"Pleasure to meet you, Tyler," Professor Oak smiled as he shook the young man's hand. "You're a real hero from what Foster has told me."

"Professor Oak was my major professor when I was doing my thesis back in grad school," Foster told his assistant.

"How are you doing, Professor?" the concerned young man asked as he sat down in what had been Professor Oak's chair.

"Damn it, Tyler, will you get off this 'Professor Blackwood' thing? I was just plain old 'Foster' until a couple of weeks ago," Foster explained to his mentor. "And I'm not _that_ much older than you, Tyler."

"How are you doing, young man?" Professor Oak asked Tyler. "I understand that you were there with Foster when the Pokémon attacked you."

Tyler's face turned pale. "Yeah. I thought Professor Bla…Foster was dead when I found him."

"But if it hadn't been for you, I probably would be," Foster told him.

"Were you hurt during the assault?" Professor Oak asked Tyler.

"No. Foster distracted it so I could get away and get help."

"Tyler, did you get a good look at the Pokémon that attacked the both of you?" Professor Oak asked.

"Yeah. I don't think I'll ever forget it. It was white on top, red on its underside, and huge. And it had a loud screeching cry, too. Professor Oak, I know you're an expert on Pokémon. Have you ever heard of this kind of Pokémon before?"

Professor Oak shook his head. "No, Tyler. I haven't. But I'm going to try to find out what it was that attacked you. Foster, I'm going to have to leave now because I promised the nurse on duty that I wasn't going to stay too long and tire you out."

"Thanks for dropping by, Professor," Foster said as he leaned back on his pillow.

"Get some rest, Foster," Professor Oak said as he headed for the door. "And it was nice meeting you, Tyler. I'll stop by again and see how you're doing when you're feeling better."

As Professor Oak walked down the hallway to the elevator, he tried to piece together a picture in his mind of the Pokémon that had nearly killed his former student. 

__

A bird like Lugia, red on top and white on the underside, with a blue mark like on an egg…I wonder what in the world it could be.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 3

Back at the Crimson Cove Pokémon Center, Ash, Misty, and Brock were waiting for Nurse Joy to finish healing their Pokémon when Brock noticed that the afternoon news was starting. 

"Let's see if they have more information on that scientist that got hurt at Grandpa Canyon." He picked up the remote control and turned up the volume on the television.

"The top story today is the attack on a research party at Grandpa Canyon," the news anchor began. "Earlier today, Foster Blackwood, a professor of Pokémon archaeology at Celadon University, and Celadon U. graduate student Tyler Daniels were attacked by an unknown Pokémon while on a research expedition at Grandpa Canyon."

"Hey, isn't that the guy that we met at the Ruins of Alph?" Ash exclaimed as Foster's picture appeared on the television screen. "Professor Oak's old student?"

"Oh no! It _is_ Foster!" Misty gasped as she stared at the television. The three had met the young scientist a few months ago at the Ruins of Alph and Misty had developed a crush on him.

"Professor Blackwood was airlifted to the Vermilion City Regional Trauma Center where his condition has been upgraded from critical to serious. Mr. Daniels was able to escape from the attack unhurt. With more information on today's events, let's go to our field reporter Emily Hunt."

"She's pretty," Brock said as the attractive blonde woman appeared on the screen.

"Thanks, Chris," the reporter began. "Behind me is the area where the attack on Professor Blackwood took place earlier today." The camera panned around the canyon to a site just to the reporter's right. "Matter of fact, you can still see some of the bloodstains on the rocks from this morning's brutal attack."

"Poor Foster," Misty said softly as she bit her lip, trying not to cry.

"What everyone wants to know right now is what did this to Professor Blackwood and why. Based on the description given by Professor Blackwood's assistant, the Pokémon that attacked them was quite large. I quote, 'a huge, red and white, bird-like Pokémon with a blue triangle-shaped mark on its body'. Pokémon researchers are currently trying to determine what was it that attacked the young scientist."

Just then, Officer Jenny appeared on the screen. "Excuse me, but I'm going to have to ask you leave."

"Officer Jenny!" Brock said happily as a goofy grin appeared on his face.

"This site is currently being treated as a crime scene, and as long as the Pokémon that did this to Professor Blackwood is still out there, it's not safe for you to be here," Officer Jenny told the reporter.

"And you are…?" the reporter asked, holding the microphone in the police officer's face.

"I'm escorting you out of here," Officer Jenny told her as she took the reporter by the arm.

"Back to you, Chris," the reporter finished as the two women moved offscreen.

As the camera momentarily focused on the spot where Foster had been attacked, Togepi jumped out of Misty's arms and toddled up to the television screen.

"Toge-toge-pi!" the Pokémon said happily as it patted the television.

"Togepi, what are you doing?" Ash asked as it observed the Pokémon's unusual behavior.

"Well, we found Togepi in Grandpa Canyon," Brock said. "Maybe it knows that's where it came from."

"How could it?" Ash replied. "Togepi didn't even hatch until we were far away from the canyon."

"Maybe it's something instinctive," said Brock.

"Come here, Togepi," Misty said as she picked up her Pokémon. "We can't see the TV if you're in the way."

"With me now from Pallet Town is noted Pokémon expert Professor Samuel Oak." The footage from Grandpa Canyon was replaced by the familiar scene of the interior of the Oak Pokémon Research Laboratory.

"Hey, it's Professor Oak!" Ash exclaimed as a gray-haired man in a lab coat appeared on the television screen.

"Professor Oak," the news anchor began, "I understand that earlier today you spoke with Professor Blackwood."

"Yes. Foster was one of my former students."

"Can you give us an update on his condition?"

"He's in rough shape, but the doctors are optimistic for a full recovery."

"What kind of injuries did Professor Blackwood receive as a result of this vicious attack?"

"Well, I'm not a physician. I think you should speak to Foster's doctor about the nature of his injuries."

"Certainly, Professor. I understand. Anyway, after speaking with your colleague, do you have any ideas as to what sort of Pokémon would attack your former student and why?"

"Foster suggested that perhaps he and Tyler had disturbed the Pokémon's nesting area. Wild Pokémon will often attack anything that threatens their young, including humans."

"Do you know exactly what sort of Pokémon was it that attacked Professor Blackwood?"

"Based on the description Foster and Tyler provided, the Pokémon they encountered is currently unknown. I'm corresponding with several of my colleagues, including Professor Robert Elm from Johto and Professor Felina Ivy from the Orange Islands, to see if they can provide any information on this Pokémon."

"That name…that name…" Brock was now lying in a fetal position on the floor. 

"Do you think Brock's ever gonna tell us what Professor Ivy did to him?" Ash whispered to Misty.

"Don't say that name…that name…" Brock moaned again.

"I asked my assistant to provide a sketch of what this Pokémon might look like based on Foster's and Tyler's description." Tracey briefly appeared on the screen and handed Professor Oak a drawing.

"Hey, there's Tracey!" Misty exclaimed as she pointed to the screen.

"Thanks, Tracey," Professor Oak said as he took the drawing from his assistant and held it up to the camera. "As you can see, it's similar to the Pokémon Lugia, but the markings are different."

Togepi hopped out of Misty's arms again and began patting the image of the Pokémon on the television.

"What's with Togepi today, Misty?" Ash asked as the two watched the Pokémon chirrup happily to the drawing on the screen.

"I don't know, Ash. Togepi's acting pretty strange." Misty bent down and picked up her Pokemon once more. "Togepi, you're going to get eye strain if you sit too close to the TV."

"Togepi-togepi-togepi," the Pokémon said in a sing-song voice as it continued to stare at Tracey's drawing.

--- 

And overhead at Grandpa Canyon, the Pokémon whose image was similar to the one currently appearing on the television was still searching for her child.

__

Where can you be? I won't stop looking until I find you.

__

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you're going to be safe at Grandpa Canyon, Professor?" Tracey asked his boss as he helped him pack.

"Tracey, I've got to find out what attacked Foster and why. Hand me those binoculars, will you?" Professor Oak said as he continued to stuff various items in a beat-up looking backpack that had accompanied him on many Pokémon research expeditions.

"You really do need a new backpack," said a familiar female voice.

Professor Oak and Tracey turned to see their next-door neighbor, Delia Ketchum, standing in the doorway.

"That's what I just told him a few minutes ago, Mrs. Ketchum," Tracey said as he handed Professor Oak his binoculars. 

"Nonsense. This backpack still has plenty of use left in it," Professor Oak said while he struggled to pull the front pocket's zipper shut.

"Where are you going?" Delia asked curiously.

"To Grandpa Canyon," he replied as he gathered up his luggage. "Tracey, go see if you can find my old tent. It's in the basement." As the boy scurried downstairs, Delia turned to her friend with a concerned look.

"Samuel, I heard about what happened to your friend. Are you sure it's safe for you to go to Grandpa Canyon after what happened to Professor Blackwood?"

"Delia, I just finished reassuring Tracey that I'll be fine. I've been on far more dangerous expeditions than this. Besides, part of being a researcher is taking risks to discover new types of Pokémon."

"True, but I'm still going to worry about you," Delia said as she picked up his overnight bag. 

"Delia, please don't worry," he said as he reached for his bag and let his hand linger atop hers. "I'll be careful, I promise."

Delia smiled. "All right." 

As she helped him carry his luggage downstairs, the videophone started ringing in the living room. Professor Oak raced down the hallway and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

A dark-haired boy wearing a baseball cap appeared on the screen. "Hi, Professor Oak. It's Ash. Brock, Misty, and I just saw you on TV."

"Ash!" Delia dropped Professor Oak's bags and dashed into the living room. "Where are you, honey?"

"Mom? What are you doing there?" Ash asked, surprised.

"I was helping Professor Oak with his luggage," Delia explained.

"Luggage? Are you going on a trip, Professor?"

"I'm going to Grandpa Canyon, Ash," Professor Oak said as he sat down. "I'm going to try to get to the bottom of this mystery and figure out what attacked Foster and why."

"Is Foster okay?" asked Misty as she appeared behind Ash.

"He's pretty banged up, Misty," Professor Oak told her. "He's got a fractured skull, several broken ribs, some internal injuries, and he nearly lost his left arm. Thank God his assistant was able to get the rescue squad there in time."

"Is he going to be all right?" Brock asked.

"He's got a long road ahead of him, but the doctors think he'll make a full recovery."

"What do you think did this to him, Professor?" said Ash.

"I don't know, Ash," Professor Oak replied. "But I'm going to try to find out."

"Professor, the reason why we called is because Togepi's acting kind of weird," Misty said as she held up her Pokémon to the videophone's screen.

"Weird? How so?" Professor Oak asked.

"When we were watching the news earlier, Togepi saw the pictures from Grandpa Canyon and it acted as if it knew that's where we found it."

"Acted in what way, Misty?"

"Well, Togepi ran up to the TV and started patting it."

"It sounded really happy or excited about seeing Grandpa Canyon," Ash added.

"But even though you found Togepi in the canyon, it didn't hatch until you were far away from it, correct?"

"That's right, Professor," Misty replied. "But it was as if Togepi seemed to know that's where we found it. And another thing, Professor…when you held up Tracey's drawing during the news report, Togepi started making these sounds…almost like it was singing or something."

"Singing?"

"Yeah. I've never heard Togepi make noises like that before."

"Professor, do you still have Tracey's drawing?" Brock asked.

"Right here," Professor Oak replied as he reached into the pocket of his lab coat and unfolded the drawing.

As soon as Professor Oak held up the drawing of the unknown Pokémon to the videophone screen, Togepi began chirruping excitedly again.

"Togepi….togepi….togepi," the little Pokémon sang over and over.

"See what I mean, Professor?" Misty said as she moved her Pokémon away from the screen. 

"Hmmm, I do see what you mean, Misty. I have an idea – why don't we try a little experiment to see if Togepi is interested in the Pokémon in the drawing or just the drawing itself? Hang on just a second." He leaned over and yelled down the hall. "Tracey!"

Tracey, who was almost completely invisible under the bulk of Professor Oak's folded-up tent, staggered up the stairs. "Can somebody help with these, please?"

"Oh, wait a minute, Tracey," Delia said as she hopped off her chair and ran down the hallway to help the struggling boy.

"Oh wait. Never mind," Professor Oak said as he noticed one of Tracey's sketchbooks lying on the sofa. He picked it up and thumbed through it until he found a drawing of Heracross.

"Okay, Togepi." Professor Oak held the drawing up to the videophone's screen. "What do you think about this Pokémon?"

Togepi looked at the drawing of its old friend for a moment, made a happy "Togi", then looked back at Misty.

"Try another one, Professor," Ash said.

"Okay, how about this one?" Professor Oak held up a drawing of a Raticate.

Togepi glanced at the drawing for a second, then turned away.

"Let's try one more," Professor Oak said as he held up a sketch of a Doduo.

Togepi ignored the drawing and held its stubby arms up to Misty, wanting her to pick it up.

Professor Oak reached for the first drawing he had shown the tiny Pokémon and held it up to the screen again.

Togepi's eyes widened. It then leapt out of Misty's arms and ran up to the screen.

"Togepi…togepi…togepi," it chanted as it patted the picture of the Pokémon on the screen.

"See what I mean, Professor?" said Misty as she picked up her Pokémon.

"Do you think Togepi recognizes the Pokémon Tracey drew?" Brock asked.

"But how could that be?" said Ash. "Togepi hatched far away from Grandpa Canyon and we haven't been back since then."

"I don't know," Professor Oak said as he glanced at the drawing of the mysterious Pokémon then looked at Togepi, who looked back at him expectantly. "But perhaps there may be a connection between Togepi and the Pokémon that attacked Foster."

"How?" Misty asked, puzzled.

"Well, Togepi does seem to recognize the Pokémon in the drawing, although I'm not certain as to why it does," Professor Oak explained.

"Then we've got to go to Grandpa Canyon and figure out why!" Ash said as he jumped up from the table. "Come on, Pikachu!"

"Now wait just a second, Ash," Professor Oak interrupted. "After what happened to Foster, I don't think your going to Grandpa Canyon alone would be a good idea."

"But _you're_ going, Professor Oak," Ash countered.

"Yes, but that's different…"

"And as long as you're there, we could stay with you," the boy continued. 

"Ash, I don't think…"

"You could watch out for us, if that's what you're worried about," Ash pressed his case further. "Although Pikachu and I are pretty good at taking care of ourselves, right?"

"Pika!" the little yellow Pokémon nodded confidently.

"Hang on, Ash," Brock said as he grabbed his young friend by the collar of his jacket. "You're not going to Grandpa Canyon without us."

"Yeah, Ash," Misty said as she and Brock forced Ash back down into his chair. "I'm not so sure about the 'being able to take care of yourself' part."

"What do you mean by that, Misty?!"

"Now wait just a second, everyone," Professor Oak broke in. "It's far too dangerous for the three of you to go…"

"Alone? But _you're_ going alone, Professor," Ash said.

"And if it's too dangerous to go there alone, then you should have someone come with you," Misty grinned.

"We'd watch out for _you_, Professor," Brock said.

Professor Oak sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win this argument. "All right. How long do you think it will take you to get to Grandpa Canyon?"

Brock consulted his guidebook. "If we hurry, we can catch the last train to Kanto." Ash and Misty started gathering up their things. "We should make it to Grandpa Canyon by tomorrow morning." 

"Are three of you familiar with the campground at the south end of the canyon?" asked Professor Oak.

"The one with the cabins?" Misty replied. "Yeah. My sisters and I would sometimes spend our summer vacations camping there."

"Okay, I'll meet you there tomorrow morning. And under _no circumstances_ are the three of you to go into Grandpa Canyon without me, understand?" Professor Oak warned. "You saw what happened to Foster. I'm not going to risk the same thing happening to any of you."

"We'll wait for you, Professor," Ash replied as Misty started tugging on his arm. "We promise."

"We're going to miss the train!" Brock said, hurrying out the door.

"Gotta go, Professor. See ya' tomorrow!" Ash threw down the receiver and the screen went black.

After hanging up the telephone receiver, Professor Oak turned around and saw Delia standing behind him. Before she opened her mouth, he beat her to the punch. "You're coming with me, aren't you?" 

It wasn't a request. It was the statement of a fact. As long as her son was involved, Delia was going to come with him no matter what. Even if he put his foot down and insisted that it was too dangerous for her to accompany him on his journey (which was a valid concern, considering that they had been nearly killed in a helicopter crash in the Orange Islands and Delia had been kidnapped by Entei during their trip to Greenfield), he knew that it would be pointless to argue with her. She would go to be with her son with or without him. But at least if he went with her, he could watch out for her, too. 

"Go pack your things and meet me back here in a hour. That way, we should be able to make it to Grandpa Canyon shortly after nightfall."

Delia smiled and hurried home to pack her bags.

__

You always were a sucker for a pretty face, Samuel, he scolded himself as he went into the next room to help Tracey with the tent.

__

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 5

"Good evening," the park ranger said as a gray-haired man and a pretty auburn-haired woman came into the office at the Grandpa Canyon South Entrance Campground. 

"Do you have any vacant cabins?" Professor Oak asked, handing the ranger his credit card.

"Take your pick," the ranger replied as he pointed to a map of the campground. "That scientist getting attacked scared off most of our campers. Will the two of you be staying together, or would you like separate cabins?"

"We'll be staying together in one cabin," Samuel replied as Delia raised an eyebrow. He still felt guilty about not being able to stop her kidnapping in Greenfield and was going to do his best to prevent anything like that from happening to her again. If they were in the same cabin, he rationalized as he signed the credit card statement, then he could do a better job of keeping his eye on her.

The ranger handed him a key. "The two of you will be in cabin four. It's down the path and over on your right."

"Thanks," Samuel replied as he gathered up their luggage and the two headed for their cabin.

"You didn't have to do that, Samuel," Delia said as she unlocked the door. "I could stay in my own cabin."

"Considering everything that's happened, I think it would be safer if we stayed together," he said as he put down their luggage and checked out the cabin. The two were pleasantly surprised to see that the cabin wasn't nearly as spartan as it had appeared from the outside. There was a sitting area with a couch and fireplace, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and bedroom with two beds in the back.

Delia stuck her head into the bathroom. "Oh my, this is a nice place." 

"Well, we'd better get to bed," Samuel said as he started to unpack. "It's late now and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?" Delia asked, picking up her luggage.

"Go ahead. I'll get a fire started," he told her as Delia disappeared into the bathroom. 

When Delia emerged from the bathroom a half-hour later, Samuel already had a nice fire going.

"There," he said as he put the last log on the fire. "That's quite…" He then saw Delia, dressed in a nightshirt, standing in the doorway. "…nice."

"Oh, that does feel nice." Delia sat down on the hearth next to her companion. "My hair should dry in no time at all." She tilted her head and let her long auburn locks cascade down her back. She sighed blissfully and closed her eyes while Samuel watched her with interest. Delia was an attractive woman, no doubt about that. That gorgeous auburn hair tumbling down her shoulders, pretty face, curvy in all the right places, long legs…Samuel then immediately felt guilty for having less-than-neighborly thoughts about his next-door neighbor. Especially since he was old enough to be her father.

"Ahem…well, guess I should get ready for bed, too." Samuel quickly hopped up from the hearth and hurried into the bathroom for a cold shower. When he had finished, he came out of the bathroom and found Delia wrapped up in a blanket sitting on the couch.

"Do you think Ash and his friends will be all right?" she said as she stared out the window into the cold, moonless night.

"They'll be fine, Delia," he said as he laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Why don't we get some sleep?"

"It's so cozy out here that I think I might sleep on the couch," she yawned as she reached for a throw pillow. "I just hope Ash and his friends have a safe, warm place to sleep tonight."

---

And overhead, another mother worried about her child.

__

When I find you, my child, I will never let you go again.

--- 

Early the next morning, Delia awoke and was rather surprised to find herself lying in Samuel's arms. The two had spent part of the evening talking on the couch and had ended up falling asleep together. 

__

This is pretty nice, she thought as she snuggled against her sleeping companion and pulled the blanket up to her chin. As she glanced at her watch, she was surprised to discover that it was later than she thought. 

__

I've got to get ready for Ash and his friends, Delia thought as she reluctantly moved away from the warm security of her companion's embrace. As she made an attempt to sit up Samuel's arms suddenly tightened around her.

"Won't let you go," he mumbled sleepily. "I'll protect you."

Delia, touched by his concern for her, smiled and delicately pried herself free from his grasp, being careful not to awaken her sleeping companion. She stood up, stretched, then tucked the blanket around her friend's chin.

__

Sleep well, Samuel, she smiled as she kissed him softly on the cheek.

After getting dressed, Delia went outside and took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. It was a chilly morning, but the clear sky overhead held promise of being a nice day.

__

I hope Ash and his friends get here safely, Delia thought as she leaned on the porch rail and watched a Pidgey fly overhead.

Nearby, two large, rough-looking men, both of whom were carrying rifles, opened the door to their cabin and stepped out onto their porch.

"Damn, those beds must've been stuffed with rocks," the darker-haired man swore as he stretched out his back.

"Hey, Nick…check her out," said his blond-haired companion as he nodded in the direction of a pretty auburn-haired woman standing on the porch of a cabin just down the path from theirs.

The larger man eyed Delia appreciatively. "Nice. Real nice." 

"Wonder what she's doing here by herself?" the shorter man said as he rubbed the stubble on his chin and watched Delia stretch and button her sweater. 

"I don't know, John. But maybe we should go see," Nick smiled, his eyes fixed on Delia.

"Good morning," Delia smiled at the two men coming up the path to her cabin. 

"Hi there," the dark-haired man smiled back. "My name's Nick and this is my brother, John."

"Nice to meet you. My name's Delia." 

"We saw you and we were wondering what a pretty woman like you is doing here at Grandpa Canyon by yourself," Nick continued. 

"It's not safe here after that guy got attacked by that wild Pokémon the other day," John added. 

"Yeah, and we thought that a pretty little thing like you might like some protection," Nick said as he took a step closer to Delia's side.

"Oh, I'm not alone," Delia said as the screen door behind her creaked. 

A rumpled Professor Oak stuck his head out the door. "Who are you talking to, Delia?"

Nick quickly moved away from Delia. "Oh, I didn't know you were here with your father." 

"Father?" said a puzzled Professor Oak as he stared at the two strange men standing on the porch.

"Oh, Professor Oak's not my father," Delia giggled. "He's my friend. We came here together to meet up with my son and his friends."

"Professor Oak?" said John as he studied the rumpled-looking man curiously. "Hey, weren't you the guy that was on the news yesterday?"

"Yes," Professor Oak nodded as he moved closer to Delia. For some reason, he didn't trust these two men. 

"Are the two of you here looking for the strange Pokémon that attacked Professor Blackwood, too?" Delia asked her visitors.

"Well, we are hunting for it," John said as Nick elbowed him roughly in the ribs. "Hey!"

"What my brother meant was that we're here searching for that Pokémon that nearly killed that guy," Nick corrected his companion.

"Are the two of you researchers, too?" Professor Oak asked, even though he doubted that these two rough-looking men were.

"Well, I guess you could say that we're trying to discover where that Pokémon's hiding," Nick said with a smirk in his brother's direction.

"We were wondering if you needed some protection," John said as he brandished his rifle. "It's not safe in Grandpa Canyon as long as that killer Pokémon's out there."

"I don't think that will be necessary, but thank you for your offer," Professor Oak told the two men curtly. "Come on, Delia. We've got to get packed before Ash and his friends arrive."

"Nice to meet you," Delia said as she and Professor Oak went back inside their cabin.

"Delia, huh? She's pretty hot." Nick smiled lecherously in his brother's direction as the two men walked back to their cabin.

"Come on, Nick," John said as he rolled his eyes. "We came here to hunt Pokémon, not women. Besides, that old professor looked like he didn't like you looking at her."

"Maybe because he knows she can do better," Nick said, picking up his rifle. "Bet she'd like someone closer to her own age. Not some dried-up old geezer."

"Meaning you, I suppose," John said as his brother continued to watch Delia's cabin. 

Nick smiled as he saw the door to Delia's cabin open once more. Nick watched Delia bend over to put down the backpack she was carrying, allowing him a nice view of her blue-jeans-clad hips. "She's got a nice..."

"Here's the canteen, Delia," Professor Oak said as he opened the door and handed it to her. He then caught sight of the two men ogling Delia. 

"I think you're pissing him off, Nick," John told his brother. "I don't think he likes you checking out his woman." 

As Nick took his eyes off of Delia, he saw Professor Oak glaring at him with narrowed eyes. The two men's eyes met for a moment, then Nick turned and went back into his cabin.

__

No, I don't trust those two at all, Professor Oak thought as he watched the two strangers disappear into their cabin. _Especially the dark-haired one and the way he was looking at Delia._

Even though he and Delia weren't officially dating or anything like that, at the same time Samuel didn't like the idea of anyone else touching her. Especially not those two. 

__

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 6

The train ride to Kanto had gone uneventfully, and Ash, Misty, and Brock had been lucky enough to find spaces in the sleeper compartment for all three of them. The train had arrived just outside of Grandpa Canyon as the three friends were waking up. After a quick breakfast on the train, the three disembarked and made their way to the South Entrance campground.

"Looks like the campground is about ten kilometers from here," Brock said, studying his map. "We should make it there in under two hours."

"Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash said as he hopped off of the train and his faithful Pokémon hopped on his shoulder.

"What do you think, Togepi?" Misty asked her little Pokémon as she surveyed the rocky landscape. "You haven't been here since you were still in your egg."

"Togepiii!" the Pokémon said happily as it waved its arms excitedly. 

Ash smiled at the happy little Pokémon. "I wonder if Togepi remembers where I found it?"

"How could it?" said Brock. "Unless it has some instinctive sense as to where it came from."

"Don't worry, Togepi," Misty said as she cuddled her Pokémon closer to her. "We'll figure out this mystery."

--- 

"I hope Ash and his friends will get here soon," Delia worried as she glanced at her watch.

"They'll be here soon, Delia," Professor Oak reassured her as he handed her a slice of toast. "Why don't you eat something? You'll need your strength for all the hiking we're going to be doing today."

Delia smiled as she took the piece of dried bread from him. "Thanks. You're so sweet -- always looking out for me."

Samuel blushed at her compliment. "Well, that's what I'm here for, Delia."

"You also said the same thing this morning when we were curled up on the couch together," Delia smiled mischievously. 

"I…what did I say?" 

"When I tried to get up, you pulled me back down and said that you would protect me," Delia said as she spread some honey on her toast and took a bite. "Do you think I need to be protected from something?"

__

Only from me and my hormones, Samuel thought as he watched Delia lick the sticky honey off of her lips. "Uh…well, this is a dangerous journey, not unlike the time we went to Greenfield and the Orange Islands. I think we should watch out for each other, don't you?"

"I think that's a good idea," Delia said as she took another bite of toast. 

Just then, there was a rattling at the screen door. "Hey! Anybody home?" 

"Ash!" Delia cried excitedly as she dropped her toast, ran to the door, and threw it open. 

"Hi, Mrs. Ketchum," Brock said as he and Misty followed Ash inside.

"Hi, Professor Oak," Misty said as she waved in his direction. "I didn't know you and Mrs. Ketchum were sharing a cabin."

"Well, Professor Oak thought it would be a good idea if we stayed together so we could watch out for each other," Delia smiled as she gave her son a hug.

"Mmm-hmm," Brock winked as he nudged Professor Oak in the ribs. "Good excuse, Professor." 

"Well, now that all three of you are here, we'd best get going," Professor Oak said hastily as he gathered up his things.

"Yeah, we'll find what Pokémon did this to Foster and then I'm gonna capture it!" Ash said as he held up a Poké ball.

"Now hang on just a second, mister," Delia said as she grabbed her son's jacket. "You will do no such thing. That Pokémon nearly killed Professor Blackwood. I'm not going to let the same thing happen to you."

"Awww, Mom…"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Ketchum. We'll watch out for each other," Misty reassured her. "We won't let Ash do anything impulsive like he normally does."

"Impulsive? Hey! What do you…"

"That's enough, you guys," Brock interceded. "It's time to get going."

---

The little group hiked for several hours before stopping for lunch at a nearby stream.

"Do you guys want grilled cheese sandwiches or some stew for lunch?" Brock reached into his backpack and produced a skillet.

"Grilled cheese will be fine, Brock," Delia smiled as she took the skillet from him. "And I'll help you with lunch."

"Any sign of the Pokémon yet, Professor?" Ash asked as the older man surveyed the sky through a pair of binoculars.

"Not yet, Ash." Professor Oak handed the binoculars to the boy. "But we're still quite a ways from where Foster was attacked. I'd say we have at least another twelve kilometers to go."

"Although we're getting closer to where we found Togepi," Misty said, studying the map. "It's not more than six or seven kilometers from here."

--- 

And in the same spot that Misty was pointing to on the map, two men were searching for a different type of Pokémon.

"See anything, John?" 

"Nahh," the younger man said as he handed the binoculars back to his brother. "That Pokémon's being pretty sneaky."

"Yeah, but when we get through with it, it won't be sneaking around anymore," Nick grinned maliciously as he aimed his rifle and pretended to shoot it.

"Wonder how much that rich guy will pay us for it?" John set down his rifle against a nearby rock and took out a cigarette.

"Which rich guy are you talking about? The prissy collector or that Mafia guy?" Nick asked as his brother handed him a cigarette.

"Either one. Whichever pays us more," John said as he lit his cigarette and took a deep drag. 

"Too bad they want it alive," Nick said as he puffed his cigarette. "It'd be easier just to kill it. A Pokémon that attacks people like that doesn't deserve to live, anyway." 

"But it makes it more of a challenge to capture it. And that's where the _real_ fun is, right?"

"You said it, Johnny," Nick smiled. "It's almost as much fun as chasing a nice piece of ass. And that Delia's got a nice one." Nick grinned as he fantasized about what Delia looked like naked.

"Yeah, that's probably why the professor's with her." John finished his cigarette and flicked the remainder to the ground. "She's probably teaching _him_ a thing or two in bed."

"Wouldn't mind her giving me a few private lessons," Nick said as he picked up his rifle. "Let's get going."

--- 

Ten kilometers from the spot where the two hunters were discussing Delia's attributes, a large winged Pokémon dozed in its perch in a dead, twisted tree. Suddenly, its eyes shot open.

__

My child. My child is near.

The huge Pokémon stretched out its wings and took flight.

__

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 7

"Mmm. That's pretty yummy, right, Togepi?" Misty said as she handed her Pokémon a bite of her grilled-cheese sandwich.

"You said it, Misty," Ash agreed while he wolfed down his third sandwich. "Brock always feeds us well."

"Guess I don't have to worry about you kids starving while you're on your journey with a good cook like Brock around," Delia smiled as Brock began to blush.

"Aww, Mrs. Ketchum…"

Togepi, who was begging for another bite of Misty's lunch, suddenly looked up to the sky. 

"Togepi…togepi…togepi…" it chanted as it began to sway back and forth.

"Togepi? What are you doing?" Misty asked as she watched her Pokémon's unusual behavior.

"Togepiiiii….togepiiiii…." Its song became louder as a dark shadow obscured the sun.

"What the…? Oh my…" gasped Professor Oak as he looked up and saw a huge white and red birdlike Pokémon hovering overhead.

"Professor, what in the world is that?" asked Brock as he stared at the Pokémon flying overhead. 

"It looks kind of like Lugia," an incredulous Ash said as he watched the Pokémon make its way toward their camp.

"Everyone run for cover now! Move!" ordered Professor Oak as he shoved Delia into a nearby crevice.

Misty scooped up Togepi, only to have the little Pokémon jump out of her arms and run towards the strange Pokémon that was getting ready to land. "Togepi! Come back! Togepi!"

"Togepiiii!" the little Pokémon said happily as it greeted the new visitor and held its arms out to it.

"Togepi! No! What are you doing?" Misty made an attempt to run towards her Pokémon, but Brock grabbed her arm.

"Misty, no! It's too dangerous! If that's the same Pokémon that attacked Foster, you don't want to get anywhere near it!" 

"Let go, Brock! I have to save Togepi!" Misty pulled away from his grasp and ran to where Togepi was chirruping enthusiastically to the strange Pokémon.

"Togepiiii….togepiiii….togepiiii…"

"Laiii," said the Pokémon as it bent down and lovingly caressed Togepi's head with its broad beak.

__

My child. I knew I would find you someday.

"Leave Togepi alone!" Misty shouted as she reached down and snatched the little Pokémon up.

"LAIII!" screamed the Pokemon angrily. ["Leave my child alone!"] 

"Misty, no!" yelled Ash as the Pokémon raised a huge wing threateningly at Misty. "Pikachu! Stop that Pokémon from hurting Misty and Togepi!"

"LAIII-LAII!" ["I won't let you take my child away from me again!"] As the Pokémon swung its wing viciously at Misty, the force of the blow knocked the girl off her feet and sent her crashing to the ground. Unhurt, Togepi tumbled out of her arms and landed next to Pikachu, who leapt in front of it.

"Pikachu!" the electric mouse growled as sparks started flying from its cheeks. ["I won't let you hurt Misty or Togepi!"]

"Misty, are you okay?" Ash came running up to her and helped her to her feet.

"My arm's a little scratched up, but I'm okay, Ash," Misty reassured him as she brushed herself off and stood up.

"LAIIII," the huge Pokémon glared at the two humans and the Pokémon that were threatening to take her child away from her once more. 

As its eyes began to glow electric blue, Professor Oak gasped. "It's a Paralysis Attack! Just like the one it used on Foster!"

"LAIIII!" ["And now I'm going to make sure you never take my child away from me again!"] screeched the enraged Pokémon at the frightened Ash and Misty.

"Togepi is that Pokémon's child!" Delia suddenly realized as she broke free of Professor Oak's grasp and dashed towards where the huge bird stood ready to attack her son.

"Delia? What are you doing?" Professor Oak exclaimed in horror as he watched Delia slowly approach the wild Pokémon.

"Togepi is your child, isn't it?" Delia addressed the angry Pokémon in a calm voice.

"Delia! Get back here!" ordered a frantic Professor Oak. 

"No!" Delia shouted back. "Not while _my_ child is in danger!" 

The Pokémon turned toward the approaching human. "Laii?" ["Who are you?"]

"I don't know who or what you are," Delia began. "But Togepi is your child, isn't it?"

"Latiasu," the Pokémon nodded.

"Latiasu? Is that your name?" Delia asked.

The Pokémon nodded again. 

"Latiasu, you're afraid that Misty and Ash are going to take Togepi away from you, aren't you?"

"Latiasu," the Pokémon nodded again as its eyes stopped glowing.

"Togepi," the little Pokémon chattered as it toddled towards Misty.

"Misty's been taking good care of Togepi," Delia said as she put a hand on the girl's trembling shoulder. "She's been raising Togepi like it was her own child. She would never do anything to hurt it."

"Mom's right," Ash spoke up. "Actually, if you want to get mad at anyone, you should get mad at me. I was the one who found Togepi's egg."

"Lai?" ["What?"]

"It's true," Ash explained. "We found Togepi here a while back. We thought the egg was abandoned, so I took it. I know that I probably shouldn't have, but we didn't know that you were around, looking for it."

"And the reason you attacked Foster was because you thought he had taken your egg, didn't you?" Delia continued.

"Lai," the Pokémon nodded once more as its anger began to subside.

"Then…" Misty said with a quavering voice as she picked up Togepi, "Then if Togepi is your child, then Togepi needs to be with you." She held out the Pokémon to Latiasu. 

"Toge?" the little Pokémon said, confused.

"Go on, Togepi," Misty said, trying not to cry. "This Pokémon is your mother. You need to be with her. She's been searching for you for a long time."

"Togi?" The Pokémon looked questioningly at Misty, then at Latiasu, then at Misty again. 

"Mrs. Ketchum sure is brave," Brock told Professor Oak.

"She certainly is," Professor Oak replied as he and Brock slowly approached the group.

"Go on," Misty urged her Pokémon. "Go with her."

"Togi?" The little Pokémon shook its head and turned back to the person it considered its true mother – Misty.

Suddenly, a bullet whizzed by Ash's ear and struck Latiasu's right wing.

"LAIII!" The Pokémon screamed in pain as it began flailing with its injured wing. Everyone scrambled for cover to avoid being struck by Latiasu. Another shot then hit the Pokémon's shoulder and sent it to the ground writhing in agony.

"Brock, go get a first-aid kit," Professor Oak ordered as he hastened to the injured Pokémon's side.

"You're not going anywhere, kid," said a short, blond-haired man as he pointed his rifle at Brock. 

"You," said the blond man's companion as he stepped out from behind a boulder and waved his gun at Professor Oak. "Move away from that Pokémon."

"What are you doing?" Delia said, eyes blazing with anger, as she approached Laitasu's attacker.

Nick smirked lecherously at Delia. "Well, well. Didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon, Delia, baby."

"Don't you dare call me 'baby'!" Delia shouted angrily. 

"How about 'hot' instead?" Nick smiled as he gazed hungrily at Delia's breasts. "They say that redheads are always hot in bed."

"You leave my mom alone!" Ash yelled as ran up to Nick and grabbed his arm.

John roughly seized Ash and, laughing, threw him to the ground. "Looks like her kid's as hot-tempered as she is!"

"You disgusting pig! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Misty spat as she ran to Ash's side and helped him up. 

Nick's eyebrows raised in amusement. "Two hot-blooded redheads? How lucky can a man get? Sorry baby, you're a little young for me. Maybe in a year or two."

Brock, seething with anger, ran to Misty's side. "You'd better apologize to the ladies right now."

John and Nick both laughed. 

"Are you gonna make me, kid?" Nick taunted. He then turned his attention back to Delia. "We'll have our fun later, baby, but right now, get out of the way."

"No!" Delia, jaw firmly clenched, stepped in front of Nick to block his path to the injured Latiasu.

"Man, you are a hot one!" Nick said, grinning at Delia's determined expression. "That's probably what the old professor says when he's busy screwing you, doesn't he?"

Before Nick knew what hit him, the sharp _crack_ made by Delia's palm slapping his face echoed throughout the canyon. Momentarily stunned, Nick took a moment to regain his wits and then seized Delia's wrist. "All right, baby, if you want it rough, I'll give you rough!"

"Let go of me!" Delia yelled as the pain from Nick crushing her wrist caused her to cry out.

"Now!" Brock cried as he, Misty, and Ash jumped John (who was standing nearby, watching the scene with amusement) and began to wrestle his rifle away from him.

During the distraction, Delia managed to kick her attacker in the shin. Cursing, Nick roughly threw her to the ground. "You bitch!" he snarled as he picked up his rifle and aimed it at her. 

"Let her go!" ordered Professor Oak as he cradled the head of the injured Pokémon.

"Move away from the Pokémon and I'll let your girlfriend live," Nick growled as his eyes met Professor Oak's. Just then, Togepi, who had gotten separated from Misty in all the confusion, toddled up to Nick and began tugging on his pants leg. "Get away from me, you little piece of crap!" he snarled as he kicked the little Pokémon. 

"Togepi!" Misty cried as the whimpering Togepi rolled along the ground and landed against Delia's leg.

"LAIIIIII!!!" cried the huge Pokémon as its eyes blazed a bright electric blue.

"What the hell…?" Nick swore as the furious Latiasu turned its gaze on him and then he realized that he was unable to move.

"It's a Paralysis attack!" Brock said as he, Misty, and Ash quickly averted their eyes. Delia grabbed Togepi and held it to her as she quickly shut her eyes and placed her hand over those of the little Pokémon.

John, hoping to use the distraction to get his rifle away from the three youths, made a move towards Brock, but suddenly found himself as paralyzed as his brother.

"Latiasu," the Pokémon sighed as its eyes closed in exhaustion. 

Opening his eyes, Brock was surprised to discover that their attackers now no longer posed a threat to them. Remembering what Professor Oak had originally asked him to do, the boy ran for his backpack and retrieved a first-aid kit and a handful of various antidotes.

Ash, opening his eyes, gasped as he saw the limp form of Latiasu lying cradled in Professor Oak's lap.

"Here you go, Professor," Brock panted, handing the first-aid kit to Professor Oak.

"Thanks, Brock," Professor Oak replied as he quickly opened it and began searching through the various items. He handed a wad of gauze to the boy. "Put some pressure on the larger wound, Brock."

"Is…is Latiasu gonna…" Ash said with a shaky voice as he watched Brock try to stop the blood pouring from the bullet wounds on the Pokémon's wing.

"I hope not, Ash," a grim-faced Professor Oak replied as he checked the unconscious Pokémon's weakening pulse.

"We've gotta get some help!" Ash said as he pulled out a Poké ball. "Noctowl, I choose you!" The golden owl-type Pokémon appeared with a trilling cry. "Noctowl, go find some help!"

"Cooo," the Pokémon nodded as it took off and disappeared over the canyon wall.

"Mrs. Ketchum, are you okay?" Misty asked as she went over to where Delia was trying to comfort the crying Togepi.

"I'm okay, Misty," she said as she held out the sobbing little Pokémon. "But Togepi wants its mommy. I think it's more shaken up than hurt."

Togepi, who was suffering more from the fright of having been abused than from its bruised bottom, held its arms out to Misty, who picked it up and hugged it tightly.

"Oh, Togepi, you're all right now," Misty said comfortingly as she cuddled her frightened Pokémon to her. "You're safe now."

With a disgusted glance at the paralyzed pair of Pokémon hunters (who were lying in a heap next to a boulder), Delia stood up and went over to where Brock and Professor Oak were trying to save Latiasu's life. "How's she doing?"

At the sight of the bruises on Delia's wrist and the scrape on her cheek from where Nick had thrown her to the ground, Professor Oak's heart sank. 

__

I did it again. I wasn't able to protect her.

"Can I help?" Delia volunteered as she bent down and began stroking Latiasu's head.

"Unless Noctowl brings help soon, there's nothing more we can do for it except try to get the bleeding under control," Professor Oak said as he continued to stare at the ugly red marks on Delia's arm. "Are you all right?"

"A little banged up, but I'm okay," Delia reassured him as she continued to caress the unconscious Pokémon's head.

"Is there anything we can do, Professor?" Misty asked as she and Ash hovered worriedly over Latiasu.

"Tie those two up," he said, pointing at the stiff forms of Nick and John.

"Sure thing," Ash said eagerly as Misty reached inside her backpack and found a coil of rope.

When their attackers had been firmly bound hand and foot, Misty grabbed a pair of binoculars and climbed a nearby tree to search for Noctowl. Brock gently covered the wounded Latiasu with a blanket, and then he and Ash went off in search of wood to build a campfire to keep the injured Pokémon warm. After checking Latiasu's vital signs once more, Professor Oak then turned his attention to Delia's injuries.

"Let me take a look at that cut on your face," he said as he poured some antiseptic on a cotton ball.

"Don't worry about me, Samuel," Delia insisted as he began cleaning her wound. "Latiasu is the one you need to worry about." 

"Sorry. I know the antiseptic stings," Professor Oak said apologetically as Delia winced. "Now let me take a look at your wrist." A mix of rage and guilt surged through him at the sight of the now-darkening bruises on Delia's wrist. There had been only a few times in his life when he had felt like actually killing a man – and this was one of them.

"Are you okay, Samuel?" Delia said with concern at the expression on his face.

"If I weren't a civil man, I'd rip that bastard's head off for what he did to you," Samuel said with barely-concealed fury as he felt Delia's wrist, making certain that no bones were broken.

Delia's eyes widened in surprise at her friend's anger. Professor Oak had always been a calm, reasonable man – but this was a side she had never seen of him before. 

"I still might, after the things he said to you," he said as he gently placed her wrist on her lap. "He's lucky - nothing's broken."

"I had no idea you were interested in defending my honor," Delia said, surprised at her friend's fierce protectiveness towards her.

"Even though some people claim that Pokémon are savage, I think they're more civilized than a lot of people," Samuel growled as he glared in the direction of the still-paralyzed Nick.

"Hey! Someone's coming!" shouted Misty excitedly from her treetop perch. "It looks like Officer Jenny!"

"Officer Jenny?" said Brock as he dropped the load of firewood he was carrying and raced towards the approaching group of people. "Officer Jenny, allow me to welcome you to our camp," he said with a goofy grin on his face as he took her hand.

"Here are the creeps that shot Latiasu," Ash told her angrily as he put down the firewood he was carrying and pointed in Nick and John's direction.

"I don't believe it!" Officer Jenny exclaimed as she shoved Brock aside and went over to where the two hunters were trussed. "The Savagewood brothers have been wanted in several areas for illegally poaching Pokémon." She whipped out a pair of handcuffs. "And now, I'm placing you two under arrest!"

__

To Be Continued…


	9. Chapter 8

At the north entrance to Grandpa Canyon, the group waited anxiously in the Pokémon Center while Nurse Joy and Professor Oak attended to the severely injured Latiasu.

"What's taking them so long?" Ash worried as he and his friends stared at the door to the treatment room.

"Pikachu," his Pokémon said comfortingly as it gave him a hug.

"Don't worry, Ash," Brock said confidently. "Nurse Joy can heal any type of Pokémon."

"Yeah, and Professor Oak knows a lot about Pokémon, too," Misty added.

Just then, the door of the treatment room swung open, and Chansey appeared. 

"Chansey," the round pink Pokémon said as it rolled a stretcher carrying the still-unconscious Latiasu to the recovery room.

"How's Latiasu?" Delia asked as Nurse Joy appeared in the doorway.

"Well, it's a good thing Office Jenny rushed it here as fast as she did," Nurse Joy said, removing her surgical gloves. "It was in shock when it arrived from the blood loss."

"But it's gonna be okay, right?" Ash asked her as Professor Oak appeared behind Nurse Joy.

"Yes and no," he said with a serious expression as he began removing his surgical gloves. 

"Yes and no? What do you mean by that, Professor?" Misty asked, confused.

"What Professor Oak means, Misty," Nurse Joy said as she looked at the girl, "Is that Latiasu will survive, but…"

"But what?" Brock asked.

"But the gunshot shattered not only the bones in its shoulder, but there's extensive nerve damage as well," Nurse Joy explained to the worried group.

"What does that mean?" asked Ash.

"It means that Latiasu will never be able to fly again," Professor Oak said as he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Oh no!" Misty gasped. "Poor Latiasu."

"Oh man," Ash said as he sank down on a nearby chair. "That's terrible."

"There's nothing you can do for Latiasu?" Delia asked Nurse Joy. "You can't do surgery or physical therapy or anything like that?"

Nurse Joy shook her head. "No. There's a remote possibility that Latiasu will regain some movement in her wing, but she'll never regain full use of it. She won't be able to fly anymore."

"But what will happen to Latiasu now?" Brock asked. "She won't be able to survive in the wild if she can't fly."

"That's right, Brock," Professor Oak said. "But I have an idea on how to help Latiasu." He turned to Delia. "Delia, you seem to have a connection with Latiasu. You seem to be able to communicate with her."

"A mother understands another mother's feelings when it comes to their child," Delia explained as the group made their way to the recovery room.

"Delia, when Latiasu wakes up, I want you to do something for me."

--- 

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What? Where am I? 

The nauseated and confused Pokémon slowly opened its eyes and its surroundings came into focus.

__

What is this place?

It wasn't in Grandpa Canyon anymore. It didn't recognize the strange room filled with beds and beeping machines.

__

Where is my child? Latiasu thought frantically as it raised its head and looked around for Togepi.

"Togepi's right here," Misty reassured her as she lifted Togepi out of her lap and placed it near Latiasu's head.

"Lai," the Pokémon cooed softly as it nuzzled Togepi with its beak.

"Latiasu," Delia said in a soft voice, "Do you understand me?"

"Latiasu," the Pokémon nodded.

"Latiasu," Delia continued as she began to stroke the Pokémon's head, "Nurse Joy and Professor Oak saved your life. But you're still hurt pretty badly. They think you may be able to regain some use of your wing."

Latiasu looked at its right wing, which was swathed in bandages, and to its surprise, discovered that it couldn't move it.

"Latiasu, you aren't going to be able to fly anymore," Delia said as tears started forming in her eyes. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too, Latiasu," Misty said as she started to choke back tears.

"Latiasu?" the Pokémon said in confusion. ["I can't fly anymore?"]

"But there's a way we can help take care of you," Delia went on. "Back where I live, Professor Oak has a preserve just for Pokémon. You'll be able to live there without having to worry about anyone harming you ever again."

Latiasu was still trying to recover from the shock of learning that it would never be able to fly again. To never be able to fly over the rocky cliffs of Grandpa Canyon again…to never soar lazily on the thermals rising from the canyon's depths…to never be free again.

"Laiii!" the Pokémon said furiously as it began to thrash about. ["No!"] It had been a prisoner once already -- she would rather die than be confined once more. 

"Latiasu, please calm down!" Delia said as Misty snatched up Togepi. "You'll hurt yourself!"  
"And you'll hurt Togepi," Misty said as she gave her Pokémon a reassuring hug.

"That's right," Delia said soothingly as Latiasu began to calm down. "Try to think about Togepi."

Latiasu looked at its offspring and settled back on the bed. "Latiasu, I know you're scared, but Professor Oak is a good man. He'll take good care of you. And he has an assistant named Tracey would will also take good care of you. And it's not like you'd be in a cage. The preserve is wide open. You'd be free to go wherever you want whenever you want."

"And there are other Pokémon there too," Misty told Latiasu. "Pokémon who want to help you and be your friend."

"Please think about it, Latiasu," Delia said. "It's your only chance."

"Do it for Togepi?" Misty pleaded as she held out her Pokémon. 

Latiasu's eyes met those of its child's, and it nodded. "Lai." ["All right."]

"Thank you, Latiasu," Delia said as she stood up. "Now try to get some rest."

"We'll stay right here with you, Latiasu," Misty said as she put Togepi back on Latiasu's bed. "That way, Togepi will be right here when you wake up."

Latiasu nuzzled Togepi once more, then closed its eyes.

"She'll come with you to the preserve," Delia smiled at Professor Oak as she emerged from the recovery room.

"Give her a few days here to rest, and I'll transfer her to your lab in Pallet Town when her condition stabilizes," Nurse Joy told Professor Oak as she handed Chansey Latiasu's chart.

"Thank you, Delia," Professor Oak smiled at her. "I knew you could convince her."

"One mother understands another," Delia said as she gave Ash a hug.

"Mom!" An embarrassed Ash quickly squirmed out of his mother's arms.

__

To Be Continued…


	10. Chapter 9

Several days later, the group reassembled at the Oak Pokémon Preserve in Pallet Town.

"How's Latiasu doing?" asked Brock as he, Ash, Misty, and Delia came up the hill behind the Oak lab.

"Take a look for yourself," Professor Oak smiled as he pointed to a boulder in the middle of the rock Pokémon section of the preserve. Atop the rock, Latiasu was attempting to build a nest.

"I can't believe how much stronger she's gotten since she arrived here," Tracey said as he came up behind his friends. "I've been taking care of her since she got here."

Latiasu, sensing that her child was near, hopped off of the rock and made her way over to where the little group stood watching her.

"She's been learning how to walk on two feet," Tracey explained. "She's getting pretty good at it. And yesterday, she moved her wing for the first time."

"Hooray! That's great news!" Ash exclaimed as the huge Pokémon approached.

Togepi leapt out of Misty's arms and toddled towards Latiasu. "Togepi…togepi…togepi…" it sang happily as Latiasu nuzzled it. Togepi then turned and ran back towards Misty.

"No, Togepi," Misty said firmly as Togepi held up its stubby arms, wanting to be picked up.

"What are you doing, Misty?" asked Ash.

"I've been thinking about it a lot the last couple of days," Misty said with a serious expression. "And I think that Togepi needs to stay here with its mommy. Its _real _mommy."

"Misty, what are you talking about?" Brock exclaimed. "_You're_ Togepi's real mother. You're the one who raised it and took care of it."

"Yeah, but only because we thought that it didn't have a mom. But now that Latiasu is here, it's time for her to take care of Togepi," Misty continued as her eyes started to well up with tears. "Go on, Togepi. Go stay with Latiasu."

"Misty, are you sure this is what you want to do?" Professor Oak asked.

"Yes, Professor, I'm sure," Misty nodded as she wiped the tears away. "Togepi needs to be with its mother so someday it can learn to be a Latiasu."

Delia put her arm around the girl's shoulders. "Misty, that's a very brave thing to do. I know how hard it is to let someone you've loved and raised all their life go," Delia said with a look back at Ash. "Even if you know it's for the best, it's still hard."

"Besides, it's not as if you won't ever see Togepi again," Tracey said. "You can call here whenever you like, and I'll put Togepi on the videophone to talk."

"And you're always welcome to stop by the lab whenever you want," Professor Oak said with a kind smile.

"And I'll stop by every day to visit Togepi," Delia said as she gave Misty a hug. "I promise."

"Thank you," Misty sniffed as she wiped away her tears once more and bent down. "Togepi, I'm going to miss you, but I want you to know that I'll never forget you."

"Toge?" the little Pokémon said worriedly as it saw how upset Misty was.

"I'll always love you, Togepi," Misty sobbed as she gave her Pokémon one last hug. Suddenly, Togepi disappeared in a flash of white light.

"What the…?" exclaimed Ash.

"Togepi's evolving!" gasped an equally astonished Brock. 

Misty quickly put down her glowing Pokémon and when the light had faded, in Togepi's place was a larger Pokémon that still had an eggshell, but now also had sprouted a neck and wings.

"Togetic!" Misty exclaimed. "You evolved just for me!" She gave her new Pokémon a huge hug. "Oh, thank you!"

"Togetic," the Pokémon said happily as it hugged Misty back, then wiggled out of her arms. Togetic then went over to Latiasu and hugged it as well.

"Latiasu," the larger Pokémon sighed happily.

Togetic then went over to Brock and pointed to its mouth.

"Oh, you want some Poké Chow, Togepi…I mean, Togetic?" Brock said as he reached inside his backpack. He handed some of the brown nuggets to Togetic, who took them over to Latiasu and began feeding them to her.

"Look at that," Ash said. "Togetic is taking care of Latiasu."

"It sure is," Misty smiled. "Now that I know that Togetic doesn't need my help as much as it did before, I don't feel quite as bad now about leaving it here."

"I think Togetic is capable of taking care of itself now," Professor Oak smiled.

"Take good care of your mommy, Togetic," Misty told her Pokémon as she gathered up her backpack. "And I'll be back soon to see you again."

"Togetic," the Pokémon waved happily as Misty and her friends began to resume their Pokémon journey.

The little Pokémon then headed back to Latiasu's side. It stretched out its arms to support the injured Pokémon's wing, and the two slowly walked back to where Latiasu was building its nest. 

"Hang on guys, I'll go get you some more Poké Chow." Tracey headed back up the hill to the lab.

"That's so sweet," Delia said, brushing aside a tear. "Togetic is going to watch out for Latiasu now."

"Unlike me," Professor Oak sighed.

Delia turned to her friend. "What do you mean, Samuel?"

Professor Oak smiled sadly as he watched Togetic hand Latiasu sticks for its nest. "Looks like little Togetic is doing a better job taking care of someone it loves than I did."

Delia was puzzled. "I don't understand, Samuel. What are you talking about?"

"What I mean, Delia, is that I blew it again. I was supposed to keep you from harm and I failed again. Looks like I'm three for three now. First, Shamuti Island, then Greenfield, now this. A helicopter crash, being kidnapped by Entei, then getting beaten up and nearly shot by a poacher. I think you'd be better off if I weren't around. Safer, anyway." 

"Samuel, that's not true." Delia reached for his hand. "You helped me get out of the helicopter safely when it crashed in the Orange Islands. Your research helped save me, Spencer, and Molly from the Unown in Greenfield. And you tended to my wounds after I got banged up in Grandpa Canyon. I'd say that I definitely need you around." Delia smiled as she squeezed his hand. "Did you really mean what you just said?"

"Mean what?"

"That you love me? Is that why you've been looking out for me all these years?"

Professor Oak's face began turning red. "I…well…I mean, we've always been friends…and it's just that…well, it's important to watch out for someone you care about."

"I love you too, Samuel." Delia said as she kissed him.

---

"That was a wonderful thing you did, Misty," Brock told her as the three started down the road leading out of Pallet Town.

"Yeah, Misty. I know how hard it is to say goodbye to a Pokémon," Ash said as he thought about some of his old friends – Butterfree, Pidgeot, Charizard, Squirtle.

"Yeah, but I think Togetic and Latiasu will be happier together." Misty brushed away a tear. "They need each other."

"And so do we," Ash smiled as the three friends headed down the road to a new adventure.

THE END

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Author's Note – This whole story came about when my older son was looking at a web site for Pokemon 5. He took one look at Latiasu and asked me, "Is that Togepi's mother?" It may or may not be true, but it's fun to think about it.


End file.
